Now it was my turn to suppress a laugh at his choice of words. Filling him was something I’d thought about often.
“How are we going to do this without waking them?” Ledger adjusted his butt, and Skye mumbled something unintelligible.
“I’ll carry them one by one.”
“Don’t be silly,” he whispered. “I’ll help.”
After removing Fraser’s legs from Ledger’s lap, I picked him up, and Ledger slid out from under Skye. I snuck a glance at his thighs and longed to pepper kisses over them. When I returned from putting my younger son to bed, Ledger was standing and holding Skye. He was swaying as if he didn’t want to jostle her awake.
I reached for Skye and our arms tangled. Ledger’s elbow knocked mine, my hand landed on his waist, and for a second we were both holding her and standing close enough that I could count the freckles on his nose.
With all three kids in bed, I found Ledger in the kitchen making tea. He looked so at home as he held up a mug and asked if I wanted some. We sipped our hot drinks, and I didn’t feel the need to talk.
When he wished me good night, I almost told him everything. That he was my mate and I had a dragon inside me and so did my kids, though they hadn’t met theirs yet. He paused as if he was waiting for me to say something, before continuing to his suite.
I stood in the kitchen and pressed both hands on the counter because they were shaking. Smoke curled from my nostrils, and I let it. There was no one here to see.
You should have told him.
Soon.
It had to be soon because I wasn't going to survive many more almosts.
SEVEN
LEDGER
I woke up with a start to hear a little girl crying, and I bounded out of bed and down the stairs before my eyes were fully open.
With my boss often working late, I’d taken to putting the baby monitor beside my bed. Besides, Theron didn’t need it even when he was in the house because the kids were just down the hall from him, and he also had an uncanny ability to hear the most muted sounds.
Huh! That was just what Jess had said.
As I tore into Skye’s room, my boss’s door was open, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t in the house. Skye was sitting up in bed with tears running down her cheeks and gripping her blankie.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I sat on the edge of her bed. Did you have a bad dream?”
She nodded and sobbed.
“Would you like me to get into bed with you and cuddle?”
Skye gave another nod, and I climbed it. She clung to me, her hot little body running even hotter than usual. I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead, but she didn't have a fever. Whatever she had was the same as what the whole family hadwhich was a permanent feature. Perhaps it was a super-speedy metabolism.
I grabbed the water bottle from the night stand and sat her up. When she’d finished drinking and we were cuddling again, I asked if she wanted to tell me about her dream.
“There was a man, and he said I was bad and I should go away because…” she choked. “You know, Ledger. The thing Daddy told us not to talk about.”
I held her close as I puzzled over what she hadn’t said and why she wasn’t supposed to speak of it. My mind zigged and zagged and went from Theron was an assassin for hire to him being a spy. But I dismissed the first option because he rarely left the estate, and if he was involved in shady business or espionage, it was all online. He wouldn't have shared that with the kids.
I held her tighter and rocked her. Whatever the secret was, children shouldn’t be expected to keep it.
“You’re not bad, angel. You’re the bestest girl I know.”
“I love you, Ledger.” She buried her face in my PJs.
“Love you too.” I kissed the top of her head. “And don’t worry. I’m here, Daddy’s close by, and the boys are down the hall. We’re all here to look after you and love you, and you’re not going anywhere.”
“But I’m different. You don’t do stuff like me.”
